Nutrition · From our archive
Looking to Save Prep Time? Try this Two-Way Mandoline
SSSarah Smith
· 2 min read
Written in 2017, 9 years ago. Food science changes, so check newer advice before you change your routine.
Nutritional Balance
Balanced Meal Nutrition Profile
Estimated nutrient density and satiety balance per serving against daily wellness targets.
- Dietary Fiber SupportDigestive wellness 38% daily goal
- Satiety DurationFullness without crashes 4.5 hours
- Blood Sugar StabilityLow glycemic curve Steady curve
- Prep SimplicityWeeknight ease Practical prep
Source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health & USDA Dietary Guidelines.
Product reviewed: Urban Trend’s Mistral Mini Mandoline
As someone who eats healthy and tries to prepare home-cooked meals, I am always looking for new tools to try out in the kitchen. I was looking forward to trying this mandoline to help make cutting up veggies a bit easier. I was interested to see if it might shorten meal prep time.
The Mistral Mini Mandoline by Urban Trend can be used for hand-held slicing or prep surface slicing and it has three thickness settings as well as a julienne setting. Foods are sliced in both directions to make for faster slicing, and it also has a built-in safety lock to retract the blades, which is helpful for cleaning and storing.
Since I was planning on making a vegetable soup, I decided to use the mandoline to save time on cutting the vegetables. The product came out of the package ready to use with no set up, and I rested the mandoline on my counter for prep surface slicing. I had some harder veggies to slice (potatoes, carrots) so I thought this method would be easier than handheld. I found it very easy to slice these harder veggies, and it was a lot faster than cutting them up myself with a knife.
As with any sharp kitchen tool, caution should be used, but when used as directed I didn’t find any risk of being cut. There is a handle that is used to press the vegetables against the blade so you can keep your fingers a safe distance away. The safety lock feature also was helpful to lock the blades before cleaning, and I was surprised to find cleaning the mandoline was very easy and quick. I look forward to using this again to cut up veggies for a veggie tray with dip. While so far I have only tried the slicer for vegetables, it also could be used to slice fruit.
If you are looking for a convenient way to cut up produce, I would recommend giving the Mistral Mini Mandoline a try. I found that it made meal prep easier and much faster. It may also inspire you to try new healthy recipes and increase the fruits and veggies in your diet, as it is a breeze to use and clean up.
Sarah SmithSarah Smith, RDN, studied nutrition at San Diego State University. Read her blog, California Coastal Nutrition, and follow her on Facebook.